threekingdomswikiaorg-20200215-history
Lu Zhi 盧植
Lu Zhi 盧植 was a politician, general and scholar who served the Han dynasty. He took to the field of battle during the Yellow Turban Rebellion and also played roles against the Eunuchs in 189 and Dong Zhuo thereafter, warning He Jin against summoning Dong Zhuo and later warning against Dong Zhuo’s displacement of Emperor Shao. Lu Zhi died in 192. He was survived by a son, who served Wei. ''History of the Later Han'' official biography translation 　　Lu Zhi, style name Zigan, was a native of Zhuo commandery You province. His height was eight chi and two cun, and the sound of his voice was like that of a giant bell. When he was young, he was taught by Ma Rong 馬融 along with Zheng Xuan 鄭玄, and he was erudite, and proficient in both ancient and contemporary studies. He enjoyed profound learning, but was never a man in pursuit of literary perfectionism. Ma Rong was from a powerful clan on the maternal side of the imperial family. When he gave a lecture, he usually brought in female singers and dancers who performed in his classroom. Lu Zhi worked for Master Ma as a teaching assistant for years, but he never turned his eyes in their direction. Ma Rong admired him for such concention. After his graduation, he returned to his hometown, where he worked as a teacher at home, with his doors closed. He was dutifully firm and resolute, with great integrity. He bore big ambitions to govern and benefit the people. He did not indulge himself in poetry and verses. He could drink a dan of liquor. : 　　At that time, General-in-Chief Dou Wu 竇武, who was father of the Empress, provided substantial support for the enthronement of Emperor Ling 靈. The General began to assume power for confidential and important political affairs. Officials at the imperial court proposed to grant noble titles to him. Although Lu Zhi was a commoner, he knew that Dou Wu was a man with a good reputation. Therefore, he wrote a letter to persuade the General. In the letter, he wrote, :“''This is Lu Zhi. I heard that even a widow does not worry about the shortage of her yarns; ''and the girl of Qishi wailed with her back leaning on a pillar. Both women were not worried about their personal matters, instead they felt worried for their states. It was a noble and patriotic feeling to bear profound concerns and thoughts for distant future. Intellectuals need to have honorable friends who may discipline each other. Classic of History'' (Shū'' 書'') suggests, ‘The state needs to consult commoners.’'' Classic of Poetry has a verse reading, ‘The state needs the advice of firewood gatherers.’ I have been a reader of your books for very long time. How can I keep my blind suggestions reserved? Today, your role to the Han Empire, is as important as that of Dan and Shi to the Zhou court. The enthronement of a wise monarch is of great importance to the people of the entire country. Concerning public opinions, people believe that this is your most important contribution. The people of the entire country are laying their eyes and ears on you. They say you are to enjoy great blessings of harmonious wind for your previous achievements. According to Spring and Autumn, if the queen has no heirs, the imperial court should select an elder candidate from the Imperial House. If the candidates are of the same age, the selection is determined by their integrity. If they are of equal integrity, the selection is determined by divination. Now, the legitimate heir has taken the throne. The enthronement is carried out in accordance with the genealogy of the Imperial House in an orderly manner. Is there such a thing as contribution? Can you attribute the maneuvers of the Heaven to yourself? It is a wise choice for you to decline such rewards to retain your reputation. Recently, the Imperial House did not have enough candidates for the throne, and they tried to seek candidates for the throne from outside. Such a situation could be dangerous. Many parts of the Empire were not peaceful. Rebels and bandits took their opportunities to start rebellions. In places such as Hengyue and Bojie, rebels and bandits were particulary rampant. An upheaval is likely to happen, and it might be similar to Chu people’s coercion against Prince Bi and the enthronement of Prince Chao by Yin. You should comply with the rite of ancient times, grant official posts to the princes, summon the beloved sons of princes and marquises, as well as the virtuous and talented members of the Imperial House to the court. Outside the court, we shall uphold the righteous and moral principles. Inside, we shall suppress our desires for power and benefits. The imperial court should select virtuous and talented people and grant them official titles when necessary. This is a way to strengthen the trunk and weaken the branches.” 　　Dou Wu accepted none of the suggestions. The province and commandery summoned him a few times, but Lu Zhi refused all the appointments. During the years of Jianning, when the government summoned him as Academician (bóshì 博士), he began to work in the government. In the fourth year of Xiping, barbarians in Jiujiang started a rebellion. The Four Offices selected Lu Zhi as the Grand Administrator of Jiujiang for his excellence in both civil and military services. The rebels surrendered. Later, he suspended his service due to his illness. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 　　Lu Zhi wrote two books, The Passages and Sentences of the Classic of History (shàngshū zhāngjù 尚書章句) and To Understand the Three Books of Rites (sān lǐjiě gǔ 三禮解詁). At that time, Inscription of Classics of Imperial College was created for the first time in order to set a standard edition for the text of the Five Classics. Lu Zhi submitted a memorial to the throne. In the letter, he said, :“''When I was young, I learned from erudite scholar Ma Rong, who was Grand Administrator of Nan commandery. I received an education of ancient studies, and I know well that there is much redudancy in the text of the present version of'' Book of Rites. In the past, I thought the classics in Book of Rites might cause inaccuracy of meaning. I was not daunted by my foolness and shallowness to offer explanations of the book. However, my family was impoverished, and I could not afford to transcribe my manuscript. I am willing to visit Dongguan (Imperial Archives) with two scholars. With government subsidies, we can concentrate on the studies of the text of Classic of History'', and we may research the'' Book of Rites for its gains and loss. By doing so, we may edit a final revised version of the sacred scriptures and publish the revised text for the stele inscription. The ancient text that resembles tadpoles is more faithful to the genuine meaning. However, popular opinions do not consider it important, and its status is suppressed into insignificant learning. Since the Restoration, erudite scholars, such as Ban Gu, Jia Kui, and Zheng Xing and his son, all enjoyed the studies of rites and music, and they were also proficient in the studies of Classic of Poetry and Classic of History. At present, Maoshi (Classic of Poetry edited by Mao School), Zuo zhuan, and Rite of Zhou are still in distribution. They are complements to Spring and Autumn. The government should establish the academic title of ''boshi (Academician) as academic official in order to educate the future generations and spread the ideas of the ancient sages.” : : : : : : : 　　It happened that the Southern Barbarians started a rebellion. Knowing that Lu Zhi had benevolent governance and was trusted by the people in Jiujiang, the Imperial Court appointed him as Grand Administrator of Lujiang commandery. Lu Zhi exercised good governance, knowing exactly what to do. He made sure that his government did not disturb the peace, dealing with just the most important of issues. 　　More than one year later, the Imperial Court appointed him as Gentleman Consultant again. He worked together with Advisory Counsellor Ma Midi, Gentleman Consultant Cai Yong 蔡邕, Yang Biao 楊彪 and Han Shuo 韓說 at the Eastern Pavilion (or Imperial Archives, Dōngguān 東觀), where they edited various books from the palace’s collections, the Five Classics (Wǔjīng 五經) and wrote a supplement to Han ji (Annals of Han). Considering this as not urgent, the Emperor appointed him as Palace Attendant, and then promoted him as Master of Writing (shàngshū 尚書). In the first year of Guanghe, a solar eclipse appeared. Lu Zhi submitted a confidential memorial to the throne. In the letter, he wrote an admonition to the Emperor, :“''I read in'' Wuxing zhuan that ‘When the sun turns dark and the moon appears, it is a solar eclipse. It represents the laxation of kings and marquises.’ This phenomenon signifies the weakness of the Emperor and the pride of his subordinates. The ''Spring and Autumn Annals says, ‘The Emperor stays away from the main hall and delays his meal.’'' This means the Emperor should avoid any action when an eclipse takes place. Recently, the solar eclipse lasted from morning till over high noon. When the sun was fully eclipsed, it was covered by clouds. In recent years, an earthquake happened, and comets appeared frequently. I heard that Han rose to power with the symbolic virtue of Fire, and the State is supposed to govern people with mercy and wisdom. Your Majesty needs to avoid particularly the lust for women and slanderous talk, because Fire fears Water. The anomalies that happened this year were all caused by the weakened ''yang due to the disturbance of yin. There must be solutions for us to eliminate and prevent disasters. Here, I seriously propose eight suggestions. First, the Imperial Court should appoint wise and moral talents as officials. Second, the Court should pardon those who were convicted in the Partisan Prohibition. ''Third, prevent the evil atmosphere. Fourth, prepare defense against rebels and invaders. Fifth, cultivate rite. Sixth, comply with the principles of Emperor Yao. Seventh, discipline the subordinates. Eighth, share benefits. When it comes to talent selection, the Imperial Court should order the provinces and commanderies to select wise and moral people, and recommend and employ them based on their talents. Concerning the pardons, most of the convicted people during the Partisan Prohibition were innocent. They could be pardoned, and their sentences could be repealed. As for the prevention of evil atmosphere, Empress Song was backstabbed by Wang Fu and Chen E, and she died in rage. Her father and brothers were executed unjustly. Their corpses were abandoned, and their relatives were not allowed to claim the corposes for burial. The outbreak of plagues was all caused by this. Your Majesty need to issue an edict to arrange the burials, so that the deceased can rest in peace. Concerning defense preparation, princes and marquises desire to start rebellion if their revenue of levy decreases. The Imperial Court should make sure that they have sufficient supplies so as to prevent such disasters. For rite cultivation, the Court should summon people with excellent moral cultivation, such as Zheng Xuan, to disseminate the principles in Hongfan and ward off woes. For the compliance with Emperor Yao, currently, the Grand Administrators and Inspectors usually would have a few transfers within one month. It is better that the Court promotes the wise ones and dismiss those who are not, so as to differentiate the competent and incompetent officials. If the Imperial Court cannot evaluate their performance every nine years, it is reasonable for the Court to do so every three years. Concerning disciplining the subordinates, networking and gift-giving can be banned. The matter of talent recommendation can be given to dedicated supervisors. It is an obligation for the Emperor to keep no personal benefits. The Emperor is supposed to take charge of important matters and avoid trivia.” The Emperor did not accept the suggestions. : : : : : : : : : : : 　　In the first year of Zhongping, the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out. The Four Offices recommended Lu Zhi, and he was appointed as the General of the Household of the North (běi zhōngláng jiāng 北中郎將), Bearing the Staff of Authority (zhíjié 持節). His deputy was Zong Yuan 宗員, Colonel Protecting the Wuhuan (hù Wūhuán xiàowèi 護烏桓校尉). They took command of the Five Regiments of the Northern Army, and summoned military forces from commanderies to suppress the Rebellion. In a series of battles, they defeated Zhang Jue 張角, and slew more than ten thousand rebels. Zhang Jue fled to guard Guangzong city. Lu Zhi built a siege-wall and dug a moat around the city. He ordered scaling ladders to be built, getting himself ready for a final attack. The Emperor dispatched a young eunuch named Zuo Feng 左豐 to visit the army and observe the conditions of the rebels. Someone recommended Lu Zhi to bribe Zuo Feng, but Lu Zhi refused. When Zuo Feng returned, he told the Emperor, :“''It is easy to destroy the rebels in Guangzong, but General Lu stays firmly inside his defenses and lets his soldiers rest. It’s as if he is merely awaiting Heaven to slay the rebels for him.” 　　The Emperor was furious, he ordered people to arrest Lu Zhi and put him in a cage cart. Lu Zhi’s penalty was death commmuted by one degree. When the General of Chariots and Cavalry (''jūjì jiāngjūn 車騎將軍) Huangfu Song 皇甫嵩 had suppressed Yellow Turban Rebellion, he spoke highly of Lu Zhi’s military strategies and tactics, which Song himself had applied to achieve success. In that year, Lu Zhi was reinstated as Master of Writing. 　　After the demise of the Emperor, General-in-Chief He Jin 何進 plotted to wipe out the eunuchs and summoned Dong Zhuo 董卓, Governor of Bing province, to the capital to coerce the Empress Dowager 何. Lu Zhi knew that Dong Zhuo was vicious and hard to be controlled and that there would definitely be severe consequences. He tried hard to stop the General-in-Chief, but He Jin did not accept his advice. When Dong Zhuo arrived in the capital, he indeed treated the Court domineeringly. He convened all the officials at the Court, and discussed his plan to change the Emperor. Terrified, all the officials were silent. Only Lu Zhi protested. Dong Zhuo ordered the adjournment of the meeting, and desired to have Lu Zhi killed. More on this can be found in the biography of Dong Zhuo. Lu Zhi was a good friend to Cai Yong. In the past, when Cai was exiled to the north, Lu Zhi was the only official who submitted a memorial to the throne to vindicate him. At that time, Cai Yong was trusted by Dong Zhuo, so Cai visited Dong Zhuo to vindicate Lu Zhi. Consultant Peng Bo admonished Dong Zhuo, “Lu Zhi is a prominent scholar respected by many people. If you have him killed, the people would be terrified.” Dong Zhuo gave up the idea, and stripped him of his official posts. 　　Lu Zhi begged to return home due to his old age and illness. Fearing that he might not survive, he took an unusual path to exit the capital via the path of Huanyuan. Dong Zuo indeed sent some men to chase him. When the men arrived at Huai, they found it was impossible to catch him. Lu Zhi made himself a hermit at Shanggu, and he never socialized with people outside. Yuan Shao 袁紹, Governor of Ji, asked him to serve as military advisor. In the third year of Chuping, Lu Zhi died. When dying, he told his son to arrange a thrifty burial in the soil without using a coffin. He asked his son to shroud his body with thin satin. He had six works, including inscriptions for stele, elegies, and memorials. : 　　During the Jian’an Years, Cao Cao 曹操 started an expedition north against Liucheng. He passed by Zhuo commandery, and told the local Grand Administrator, “The late General of the Household of the North Lu Zhi is a man of nationwide prominence. He is also an academic master, a role model for the intellectuals, and a backbone statesman for the country. In the past, when King Wu of Zhou entered Yin, he granted noble titles to the neighbors of Shang Rong. When Zichan died in the State of Zheng, Confucius shed tears. I, the solitary, now has arrived in this place. I shall praise him for his legacy. According to the Spring and Autumn Annals, the descendants of the wise deserve special respect. Cao immediately sent an assistant to sweep clean Lu Zhi’s grave, console his children and grandchildren, and had a ritual of sacrificial offering in memory of his virtues. Lu Yu 盧毓, son of Lu Zhi, also enjoyed a nice reputation. : : : : : : Conclusion [to HHS 64] 　　Conclusion: Wind and frost differentiate the properties of herbs and trees. Chaos and dangers reveal the virtues of loyalty and goodness. And Lord Lu’s heart can be known by the people. When a hornet flies upon one’s chest, and a thunder cracks at one’s year, even people such as Meng Ben, Xia Yu, Jing Ke and Zhuan Zhu would not remain composed and decisive. Faced with sharp sabers, Lu Zhi chased the Emperor along the Yellow River. Undaunted by dagger-axes and violence, he never considered his life as a priority. As a man of noble character, he remained faithful and unwavering for his loyalty and righteousness regardless of hardships and sufferings. : : : : : According to Du Yu’s note to Zuo zhuan, “The character 戕 qiang means violence by soldiers.”}} : See also *He Jin *Huangfu Song *Zhu Jun *Zong Yuan *Yellow Turban Rebellion Notes References Sources Category:Han Category:Han Personages Category:Translations Category:History of the Later Han translations